The College Scorecard endeavors to provide those college-bound with institutional data to make informed decisions in selecting which college to attend based on factors such as costs, completion rates, etc. Nonetheless, there is a wrinkle considering the way in which completion is calculated.

It's not really "news" that some students do not complete their degrees on a traditional timetable; what's big news is that many do ultimately earn their degrees and go on to become great examples of academic achievement to inspire their children and families.

We used to lead the world in college degrees. Now we've fallen dangerously behind. That's why we've set an ambitious goal for ourselves: we want 55 percent of Americans to have a college degree by the year 2025.